Menu Planning

This week will be very busy with DD's birthday and party preparations for Saturday. I'll be doubling some things I cook and morphing them into new meals.

Sunday-Potluck at church-taking Scalloped Potatoes

Monday- Porcupine Meatballs, Brown Rice, California Veggie Mix in Cheese Sauce
*note-make extra meatballs and rice for Tues. and Fri. meal

Tuesday- Meatball Subs, Baked Tator Tots

Wednesday- Hamburger Helper, Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
*note- use precooked ground beef to save time

Thursday- Oldest DD turns 4! Go out and eat; her pick.

Friday-Turkey Enchiladas, Spanish Rice

Saturday- Sandwiches/Leftovers

$32.08 @ Country Mart

My pantry and freezer were almost bare! Luckily my in-laws took the girls home after the Thanksgiving party so I could clean, do laundry, and go grocery shopping! Now , DH likes to go to Walmart when I go so I just went to Country Mart, then will hit Wal-mart after our date tonight. Yay!


My free or almost free items were (keep in mind, all my coupons were doubled)

Reynolds Oven Bags $1.98 -$1 MC=Free
3 Starkist Tuna Pouches $1.19 -3/$1 MC=Free
Crisco Cooking Spray 2.49 -$1 MC =.49
2 BC Frosting 1.50 each - 2/.55 MC =.40 each
2 Parkay Butter Quarters $1.28 -.75/2 =$1.06/2
Mrs. Cubitsons Croutons .88 each -B1G1 =.44 each
Keebler Crackers 2/$4 - $1MC = 2/$2
4 Pillsbury Crescent Rolls $1.50 each -4/.25 MC =$1 each

I also got 4 lbs of ground beef, a 6 lb roasting chicken, potatoes, celery, onions, and sugar.

Total before coupons $54.41
Total after coupons $32.08

Menu Planning

Sunday- Mini Meatloafs, Mac n Cheese, Corn

Monday- Ham, Bacon, and Cheese Pie, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Carrots

Tuesday- Chicken Tenders, Scalloped Potatoes, Green Beans

Wednesday- Eat at Church

Thursday-Turkey Burgers with Homemade Hamburger Buns, French Fries

Friday-Egg & Sausage Biscuits, Cinnamon Rolls

Saturday- Rotisserie Chicken, Potato Wedges, Broccoli Pasta

Almost free @ Bath and Body

My camera seems to have bitten the dust so here is a pic from Bath and Body Works website of what I got for FREE! I found a coupon, I think it was on MoneySaving Mom, that if you buy any product you get a Scentport or Wallflower kit free. So yesterday I bought I gift bag for $1.00 plus tax and got the Cinnamon & Clove Bud Scentport Starter kit free.
So now I guess I'm going to have to spend all the money I've been saving on a new camera!

25.50 at Walmart on nothing.

No pic, but we went to Walmart last night to get milk and spent 25.50 on mostly junk. Here's what we got

4 bags chips
Butter
1 box candy
1 bottle tea
Goldfish crackers
Pickles
Turkey burgers -at least these were on clearance for $1.80 for 4

Homespun Haven

Over on Monica's blog , she is hosting Making Your Home a Haven. I haven't the time to post lengthy posts on it every day, but I've participated in a abbreviated version.

Tidy- I straightened my pantry to store more great stockpiles!
Before
After
Clean- Did dishes, 2 loads laundry, sweep floors, picked up trash, and cleaned out my freezer. (hubby helped greatly on this one and I was shocked to find I have 14 bags of Steamfresh Vegetables! Guess I went overboard on those $1 off coupons ;)

Cared For- Lit candles all week to make our home smell good and feel cozy


Fun-Read books with the girls and planned a Family fun day on Saturday to Incredible Pizza, Krispy Kreme, and Build A Bear Workshop. Will post pics of that after.

Inviting & Giving- Plan to put together a Thanksgiving food basket for single, elderly person at church.

Thats about it! Hope your home is a haven.

All Things Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is getting near! Here are some really great Thanksgiving themed things that I hope to get around to doing this year. The great thing about being a teacher is you get a whole week off!

These cute Pilgrims Hats are from Family Fun

These are filled with chocolate & peanut butter chips!

This handprint craft is perfect for small children.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

$9.49 at Country Mart

2 Liter of Dr Pepper-on sale .99 each
2lb grapes-on sale 1.89
Michelina Lean Gourmet Frozen meals-on sale .77 each -$1/5 MC Doubled= .37 each
2 Bagelfuls-on sale $2 each -2 $1/1 MC doubled =FREE
Pillsbury Icing- 1.50
Red Gold Canned tomtoes-on sale $1 -2 B1G1=.50 each

Total before coupons $16.49
Total after coupons $9.49

Free website like Weight Watchers

Spark People is a great, free, website to help people lose weight.

My favorite thing is the nutrition tracker. I use it to track exactly what I'm eating so I know if I'm staying within my calorie & fat range.

You can track my progress here.

Menu Planning Monday

Sunday- Church Potluck, I made Chili Sweet Potatoes & they must have been good because they were all gone!
Monday- Whole wheat Spaghetti, Sun dried Tomato & Basil Sauce & Cheesy Bread
Tuesday- Santa Fe Popcorn Chicken Salad, Baked Potatoes
Wednesday- At church (mac n cheese, little smokies from what I hear!)
Thursday-Ham, Sweet & Spicy Sweet Potatoes, Sweet Corn
Friday- Hamburger Helper, French Fries
Saturday- Leftovers

Busy Day

I had a lot planned to do today. Besides cleaning, mopping, and laundry, I have.......

Browned a pan of sausage, half to use today, half for another meal.

Made this coffee bean candle for my MIL using leftover bits of other candles & a pickle jar. Total cost was .83 for the coffee beans.

Made a Bubble Pizza using my homemade sauce, thanks to tomatoes from my mom.

Baked 3 loaves of Banana Zucchini Chocolate Chip Bread

Boiled a big pan of sweet potatoes to make Sweet & Spicy Sweet Potatoes for our church potluck tomorrow

Keep checking back to see what I get done!

Holiday Recipes

I love to cook even more than usual around the holidays. Here are some recipes that I really want to try!

Spiced Sweet Potatoes (scroll down a little)

Bubble Pizza

Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Onions

Cheesey Bread (minus the olives. I had this at church one time & it was awesome. A friend made it and substituted pepperoni for the olives since she knew I was allergic)

Banana Zucchini Bread

Chicken Salsa Salad (to use up the free popcorn chicken & dressing I got recently)

Monkey Bread

Marble Buttermilk Pie

Marble Buttermilk Pie

1/2 cup flour
2 1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
6 eggs
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups chocolate chips
2 unbaked pie shells

Place 1 c. each of chocolate chips in unbaked pie shells. Mix remaining ingredients well; pour into pie shells. Cover crust edges with foil to prevent burning. Bake at 375 for 45 to 60 minutes or until pies are set. Makes two pies.

Menu Tuesday!

Sunday- ate at my moms- Ribs, Corn Casserole, Green Beans
Monday- Burritos & Cheese Nachos
Tuesday- Roast, Potatoes, Carrots, Marble Buttermilk Pie (recipe to follow)
Wednesday- Beef Stew, Cornbread, Cheese Sticks, Banana Pudding
Thursday-Sandwiches, Chips
Friday- Spaghetti, Green Beans, Garlic Bread
Saturday- Sloppy Joe Casserole, Green Peas